A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains or may contain material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the photocopy reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure in exactly the form it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
The present invention relates in general to a gaming device, and more particularly to a gaming device which has a bonus game which enables players to make inputs and receive values in a particular value order from value sets associated with the outcomes of the inputs.
Many existing gaming machines, such as traditional slot machines, include bonus rounds. Typically, a bonus round begins when the player reaches a bonus triggering event in the primary game of the gaming device. In slot machines with reels, the triggering event usually occurs when the player reaches a predetermined combination of symbols on the reels. Usually, the bonus scheme provides the player with an opportunity to gain bonus value before the bonus round terminates. Some of these existing bonus schemes involve players making inputs and receiving values associated with the outcomes of the inputs. To increase player enjoyment and excitement, it is desirable to provide players with new gaming device bonus schemes.
The gaming device bonus scheme of the present invention provides players with a plurality of inputs and value sets. An input can include any opportunity to cause an outcome or initiate an event or sequence of events in a bonus round. Each of the value sets includes a plurality of predetermined values. The values are arranged in a predetermined value order. The value order is the order or sequence in which the gaming device stores in memory, and preferably indicates, different values in a value set. The gaming device can indicate or distinguish values in any fashion so as to inform a player as to which values the gaming device may award to the player at the end of the bonus round. For example, a value set may include the values twenty, ten, fifty and thirty. The value order could be first fifty, second ten, third thirty and fourth twenty. Preferably, the values increase in magnitude in a trend consistent with the value order. In this example the value order is thus preferably first ten, second twenty, third thirty and fourth fifty. It is also preferable that each of the value sets in a bonus round include the same quantity of values.
The gaming device enables the player to gain values by making certain inputs. By making inputs, a player can cause the gaming device to temporarily store in memory or otherwise designate and preferably indicate, values in value sets associated with certain input outcomes. The gaming device terminates when a terminating condition occurs. In one embodiment, a terminating condition occurs when a player makes a predetermined input or when the gaming device stores, designates or indicates a predetermined amount of values.
In one embodiment, when the bonus round terminates, the gaming device awards the player with one or more, and preferably all of the stored, designated or indicated values. In other embodiments, when the bonus round terminates, the gaming device processor applies a predetermined mathematical equation or formula to the designated values in the value sets. Using the formula, the processor calculates a final bonus value award which the player receives. The formula can include: (a) the addition of the values designated in the value sets; (b) the subtraction of the values designated in the value sets; (c) the multiplication of the values designated in the value sets; or (d) any other mathematical operation or manipulation of the designated values in the value sets.
In operation of one embodiment, the gaming device provides the player with a predetermined number of inputs and value sets associated with certain input outcomes. The gaming device then enables a player to make an input. If the input outcome does not result in a terminating condition, the gaming device stores in memory or designates, and preferably indicates, one or more of the values in the value set associated with the input outcome. When storing, designating or indicating values, the gaming device follows the value order associated with the value sets which include such values. This process continues until the player makes an input which results in a terminating condition. When the bonus round terminates, the gaming device provides the player with a payout equal to the sum of some and preferable all of the stored, designated or indicated values in all of the value sets.
In one embodiment, the input is a choice of selections. The gaming device visually informs the player of the value order associated with each value set. In this embodiment, the value sets include vertical arrangements of values, and the gaming device indicates values in a value order from bottom to top in a ladder-like fashion. When a player chooses a selection, the gaming device reveals a symbol. Some symbols are associated with particular value sets and others limit the duration of the bonus round. Preferably, the relationship of symbol to value set is indicated to the player through graphics and/or themes shared by the value sets and the symbols. For example, a bonus round could include three value sets which are colored red, green and gold, respectively, and the respective symbols associated with those value sets could be colored red, green and gold. Therefore, if a player chooses a selection which reveals a red symbol, the gaming device would indicate the first value in the red value set. The gaming device enables the player to choose additional selections until a terminating condition occurs. In this embodiment, a terminating condition preferably occurs when the gaming device indicates all of the values in a value set or when a player chooses a selection which terminates the bonus round. When the terminating condition occurs, the gaming device provides the player with the payout corresponding to all of the indicated values in all of the value sets.
It is also preferable that, in this embodiment, the symbols do not change in position or quantity after the player chooses a selection. As such, the gaming device preferably displays or reveals each symbol reached by the player continuously until the bonus round terminates. In an alternative embodiment, after the player chooses a selection, the gaming device can change the position and/or quantity of symbols provided to the player. Preferably in such embodiment, the gaming device enables the player to choose the same selection more than once.
It should be appreciated that although it is preferable that when a player makes an input, the processor designates a single value in a value set, the input outcome can cause the processor to simultaneously designate multiple values. This type of outcome is at times referred to herein as a multi-value outcome. For example, if a value set has five values and a player makes a predetermined input, a multi-value outcome may occur, causing the processor to designate three values for the player at one time.
The bonus scheme of the present invention provides players with a plurality of value sets and one or more input opportunities to indicate values in the value sets. When indicating values in value sets, the gaming device does so in a predetermined value order by incrementing from the first value toward the last value. In one embodiment, when the player chooses certain selections during a bonus round, the gaming device indicates values in the value sets associated with the chosen selections. This type of bonus scheme increases the enjoyment and entertainment experienced by gaming device players.
It is therefore an advantage of the present invention to provide a gaming device having an ordered designation of bonus values in multiple value sets.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed disclosure, taken in conjunction with the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts, elements, components, steps and processes.